Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 17 Dec 1997

Vol. 485 No. 3

Written Answers. - Whaling Industry.

Trevor Sargent

Question:

228 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands her views on whether a relaxation in the moratorium on whaling will encourage countries such as the Philippines, South Korea, Indonesia and Taiwan to resume whaling in view of the fact that some of these countries have indicated they will, on the grounds that they have stronger economic arguments on whaling than either Japan or Norway and her views on the success, if any, of the Irish proposal to the International Whaling Commission which could not limit whaling to these latter two countries. [23383/97]

Trevor Sargent

Question:

229 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands the communication, if any, she has had with either the secretariat or the Standing Committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species on the possible effects of the Irish proposal to the International Whaling Commission. [23384/97]

Trevor Sargent

Question:

230 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands if her Department's attention has been drawn to the illegal practices that pertain within the international whaling industry, practices that will be encouraged if the Irish proposal to the International Whaling Commission succeeds. [23385/97]

Trevor Sargent

Question:

231 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands if her Department has examined the international legal status of the Irish proposal to the International Whaling Commission in relation to a continued moratorium on whaling in international waters. [23386/97]

Trevor Sargent

Question:

232 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands whether the Irish proposal to the International Whaling Commission will reduce the international protection afforded to the whale species. [23387/97]

Trevor Sargent

Question:

233 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands her views on whether the current moratorium on whaling has been a success in view of the Irish proposal to the International Whaling Commission. [23388/97]

Trevor Sargent

Question:

234 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands the indication, if any, which has been received that either or both Japan and Norway will leave the International Whaling Commission if the Irish proposal to that body does not succeed. [23389/97]

Trevor Sargent

Question:

235 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands the public consultation in which her Department has engaged in relation to the Irish Government's proposal to the International Whaling Commission. [23393/97]

Trevor Sargent

Question:

236 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands whether she has been assured that the Irish Government's proposal to the International Whaling Commission will result in lessening the number of whales killed. [23395/97]

Trevor Sargent

Question:

237 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands her views on whether proposals to reduce the protection given to whales and dolphins and most particularly a proposal to remove the current moratorium on whaling should not be encouraged in view of the many environmental dangers which whales and dolphins face which was explicitly acknowledged by the International Whaling Commission. [23394/97]

Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands (Miss de Valera)

Tógfaidh mé Ceisteanna Uimh 228, 229, 230, 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 236 agus Uimh. 237 le chéile.

I refer the Deputy to my reply to Questions No. 3 of 23 October 1997 and Nos. 340, 341, 342, 343, 344 and 346 of 2 December 1997.

I reiterate that the proposals put forward for discussion by Ireland will increase the protection for whales by bringing all legal whaling under the control of the Commission and by making illegal whaling more difficult. This will reduce the number of whales killed.

Questions on the position adopted by Ireland at the recent meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in Monaco must be set in the context of the current impact of whaling operations on the whale species generally. The current moratorium on commerical whaling has had qualified success. The reality of the situation is that despite the moratorium, Japan and Norway are taking an increasing number of whales legally — under the provisions for scientific whaling in the case of Japan and under objection to the moratorium in the case of Norway. This has resulted in an increase in the number of whales taken from 380 in 1992 to almost 1,050 in 1997. Indeed, I understand from newspaper reports that Norway has decided to increase its quota for 1998. This indicates the limitations of the current moratorium and the proposals put forward for discussions by Ireland are designed to address these limitations. The proposals represent a method of strengthening, not weakening, the protection regime for whales under the International Whaling Convention. The proposals address the threat posed to whale populations by continued uncontrolled whaling operations for commercial and scientific purposes. As such, they do not seek to address directly other threats posed to whale populations such as environmental pollution, etc. However, I can confirm that environmental threats are the subject of deliberations by the IWC which is conscious of the need to ensure that such threats are taken into account in calculating quotas under the revised management scheme (RMS).

The Philippines, Indonesia and Taiwan are currently not parties to the Whaling Convention and are not members of the IWC. I am satisfied that the proposals put forward by Ireland would reduce the incentive for those countries to engage in whaling. By providing for a ban on trade in whale meat, our proposals should remove the major market (Japan) for whale meat. This should greatly reduce the economic incentive to any nation, including those already referred to, to engage in whaling. The Republic of Korea is a member of the IWC and will be a party to any agreement reached on the Irish proposals. Before a quota could even be sought by an IWC member, there would be a requirement to carry out costly surveys and this, with other substantial compliance costs, would further reduce the potential profit from whaling.

The proposals made by Ireland to the IWC have not then been the subject of any communications by me with either the Secretariat, or the Standing Committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. The proposals have been put forward for discussion with the objective of reaching agreement by consensus within the IWC on the control and regulation of whaling. If such consensus can be reached, the intention is to draft suitable texts within the legal ambit of the International Whaling Convention. I am advised that this is the appropriate legal mechanism but my Department is willing to look at any opinions on this matter. At this point the Irish proposals provide only a framework for discussion and agreement and much work remains to be done. There is as yet no agreement, but we would be encouraged by the fact that the proposals have, in general, been considered for what they are — an honest attempt to reach agreement by consensus. I am satisfied that the proposals, providing as they do for the phasing out of lethal scientific whaling, will reduce the number of whales killed and, by controlling and regulating all whaling, will ensure that any whaling operations that do take place will not impact adversely on whale populations.

I do not accept that Ireland's proposals would encourage illegal activity. I have already informed the House that our proposals include satellite monitoring, DNA tracing of meat and international observers on whaling vessels. These proposals provide for improved monitoring of whaling operations under the RMS which can only restrict, not encourage, illegal whaling practices.

While no formal statement has been received from either Japan or Norway that they will leave the IWC if the Irish proposals do not succeed, I understand it is the view of many observers that Japan and Norway will leave if a ban is imposed on all whaling, in spite of any scientific opinion that might indicate that limited whaling is sustainable.